Cecil County for ALS - Page 2

Bill Hall · #11 10-31-2009, 06:44 AM

I think you guys are giving a patient care perspective to a world that is driven by profit/loss and legal requirements. LCWC is likely dispatching the Cecil County unit because it is geographically closer (a legal requirement). Cecil County is not paying to staff this rig because the call volume is likely too low (a financial decision). SVEMS is not staffing a rig or enough rigs to cover all the calls there either (another financial decision). I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying you are fighting the wrong battle.

77EMT21 · #12 10-31-2009, 12:51 PM

While yes I agree with you Bill. LCWC should also be recognizing a pattern from the cecil medic. When was the last time they made it out? when was the last time they made it on scene? It has happened a little more frequently down here of multiple ALS calls coming in in 7-7-9s first due area. But unless an ALS squad is placed down there it stuck with where things are at. And since we dont know when its going to happen that two ALS calls come in, and dont know the frequency it will happen its sorta tough to justify the cost of an extra provider down here. Now there is suppose to be a southern supervisor for SVEMS, this should help with coverage of the area.

To go along with what Jeff said, When ever I work on 7-7-9 or even 7-7-8 if there is a call down that way I advise county that I will be responding down due to the trends of Cecil Co Medic. Most the time county says ok and asks if I want to keep the Cecil unit on. I say yes because they are closer.

And on another note, Jeff you need glasses and a good look in the mirror then revise your statement about yumyum's partner at work.

Mickenzie · #13 10-31-2009, 07:14 PM

Not busting balls, but....who is held accountable in the event there is a crash, and a unit was running to a call "un-dispatched"? Trying to anticipate a failure of another unit may be good, but could end up being a legal night-mare in the future. Could this be considered "bidding" now, and can we start trying it on the fire trucks...or will we get our pee-pee smacked?

I think I recall hearing a Dispatcher one night saying: YOU'RE NOT DUE.....

medicyum · #14 10-31-2009, 11:29 PM

Just a little education on Cecil County EMS. If you hear that Cecil Paramedic 1 is enroute, that is the Career Paramedic (2 ALS provider squad) from Cecil County Department of Emergency Services stationed between Conowingo and Rising Sun in Colora, MD. There are currently 4 career county Paramedic Units stationed throughout Cecil County with plans for more in the future.If you hear them alert Cecil Sta. 28 or Cecil Sta. 73 for a Ambulance or Medic, They are all volunteer stations and need to wait for a crew to come to there stations to respond. The transporting ambulances in Cecil county come out of the Volunteer Fire Departments and have no paid staff except for Singerly Fire Co in Elkton and North East Fire Co in North East. All the volunteer ambulances have BLS and ALS equipment on them due to they do have some volunteer paramedics. To run EMS as a volunteer in Cecil County, you have to be approved by the DES and the County Medical Director. When LCWC contacts Cecil Dispatch for a call, the on-duty Career Captain or Lt. is contacted to see if P1 is able to respond. If P1 is only with 1 due to the 2nd provider already upgrading a call in Cecil then usually they will not be available for Lancaster County Calls. This keeps the 1 provider able to cover Cecil county calls since the DES paramedics are provided by county tax dollars and the County Career Paramedics do not bill. In Cecil, the ambulances will either get out as a MICU, BLS, or could be driver only depending on who shows up at the volunteer station for the call. The County Paramedics are dispatched for every EMS call in the county. If the amb. responds driver only, then the county paramedics make up the remaining part of the crew and vice versa, if they get out ALS, then sometimes the volunteer unit will will cancel the County Paramedics depending on location. I can tell you from experiece that alot of times when P1 is dispatched into Lancaster County, we get cancelled by LCWC before even getting over the state line usually due to 5-13 loading and heading towards Lancaster or Jennersville. Any other questions, please ask!!!

77EMT21 · #15 11-01-2009, 12:21 PM

Thanks for the explination Kevin.

I will rephrase what I said earlier, I will call county on the phone (dont need to eat up air time) to see if THEY want me to respond to the call. Most of the times they say yes and I will make sure they keep the Cecil unit on since they are closer. If county says no go ahead and start back to my first due I do. But for the cases like Kevin said where 5-13 loads up and gets going I will head down and make my direction of travel so that if who ever the BLS is on scene if they request a Medic to rendezvous with them, I an get to them easier.

There really is no winning combination. Just a really crappy run area if the system is busy. Medic 7-7-9, 7-7-8, 94, 1, 28 or who ever is could actually all be out or not able to respond all at the same time. So that comes down to 5-13 or whoever the BLS ends up being knowing what they have available, and being able to provide the best care they can until they get to a hospital or are able to get ALS on board.